Abstract
Objectives
To evaluate the prevalence of and factors associated with unintended pregnancy in
the past 12 months among women and men in the United States (U.S.) military in 2018,
as well as trends in unintended pregnancy between 2005 and 2018.
Study design
This was a cross-sectional study using the 2018 Department of Defense Health Related
Behaviors Survey of active duty servicemembers. We selected a stratified random sample
from members of all military service branches and used weighted logistic regression
models to identify associated independent factors. A 9.6% weighted response rate to
the online survey resulted in 16,806 active duty servicemembers analyzed; 4993 women
aged 17 to 44 years and 11,813 men aged 17 to 45+ years. We used data from five independent
surveys: 2005, 2008, 2011, 2015, and 2018 to examine trends over time.
Results
A total of 5.6% (95% CI: 4.5%–6.7%) of servicewomen reported unintended pregnancy
and 2.4% (95% CI: 1.9%–2.9%) of servicemen reported to have caused unintended pregnancy.
Unintended pregnancy was associated with contraception nonuse, younger age, and being
either married or cohabiting.
Conclusion
The decrease in prevalence of unintended pregnancy among U.S. servicemembers since
2005 mirrors the general U.S. population. Differing contraception policies during
basic training across military services may influence rates of unintended pregnancy.
Unintended pregnancies place a large burden on the military healthcare system, as
the majority of women serving in the military are of reproductive age, and thus require
care before, during, and for years after giving birth.
Implications
Unintended pregnancy among U.S. military servicewomen relatively mirrors that seen
in the U.S. population. Contraceptive policies affect unintended pregnancy throughout
servicemembers’ duration of service. As they are more likely to live in states which
restrict access to abortion services, servicewomen with unintended pregnancy may face
increased obstacles to care.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: October 12, 2022
Accepted:
September 30,
2022
Received in revised form:
September 25,
2022
Received:
July 7,
2022
Publication stage
In Press Corrected ProofFootnotes
☆Disclaimer: The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views, assertions, opinions, or policies of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, the Defense Health Agency, or the Department of Defense.
Identification
Copyright
Published by Elsevier Inc.
